My family has always been big on picnicking - whether on the living room floor in front of a fire in January or beside a stream in the Cascade Mountains or in a hollow between sand dunes within sight of the pyramids at Giza. There is something simultaneously exotic and familiar about a picnic.
Above all, a picnic should not be ordinary, nor should it be an effort - at least not during the picnic itself. A little advance planning and work goes a long way toward keeping the picnic itself more joy than job but even a spur-of-the-moment picnic can be pure pleasure if you're prepared. And although you can get really fancy, a simple tote, stocked with basics and kept in your car trunk, can transform a wide place in the road into a natural banquet hall.
Currently I have a pretty fancy picnic basket that some friends gave me, but in the past I've typically just had a tote. What's critical is how the basket (or tote) is equipped and you can find my list of essentials below.
Although some picnics are spur of the moment affairs when I'll buy some bread, ham, and cheese for sandwiches and a beer, bottle of wine, or hard cider to wash it down, the best picnics are planned in advance with the various elements chosen to work together and prepped in advance. Most sandwiches are best made on-the-spot, but some can be made in advance (see the link to Mufaletta). And if you have a portable grill then it's hard to beat hamburgers by the lake or a mountain stream.
I find that you always end up eating later than planned, so I like to include some finger food to munch on while getting everything going, the deviled eggs, hummus, and fried chickpeas below are great, but toss in some olives and pickles too.
Sliced tomatoes and cukes are always a welcome side dish as is potato salad, cole slaw, or pasta salad. And my favorite dessert on picnics are cookies.
The Compleat Picnic Basket
You don’t need to spend much money, but it is worthwhile buying a few items that are always kept in the basket. They can be cheap (the two knives I keep in my basket are serrated "ginzu-type" stamped metal - as opposed to the expensive German and Spanish forged knives I use at home and when catering) but having them always there makes a big difference. The plastic tarp isn't in my basket, but is in my car's trunk. And even though my basket contains real plates and glasses, if cleaning them after use is a problem then the paper plates and plastic cups are a better option. They can then go into the trash bag.- Salt and pepper shakers
- Can opener (just in case)
- Bottle opener (for those imported beers)
- Cork screw
- Knives (one big, one small)
- Cutting board
- Plastic tarp (the ground may be wet)
- Blanket (more comfortable than plastic)
- Paper plates
- Plastic utensils
- Plastic cups
- Paper napkins
- Wet naps
- (2 - 3) Plastic Tupperware-style containers
- Zip-lock bags (2 or 3 of 2 or 3 sizes)
- Plastic grocery bags (for trash)
- Garbage bags (for more trash)
